The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-07-30
A NEW D1pmTMERIA CURE.
The TreatmeMt by lntubation Which Is
Said TO BE Successful.
II. Y. Cor. Philadelphia Press.l


IN. Y. Cor. Philadelphia Press
Ga the bed lay Il young boy gasping
for breath. He was not over eight
years of age. Had not his features
been distorted by his terrible struggle
to obtain relief from the sitting feeling
that oppressed him, he would have
been considered Il handsome child. AS
1t was, his eyes We're bulging from
their sockets, his mouth was drawn
out of shape ind his entire frame was
racked by feverish convulsions. His
stertorous breathing felt upon tho
deadly silence of the room with start.
ling effect, and made all the more pain
full the hopeless misery written in tho
faces of his parents.
The doctor looked at him for n mo-
ment, and then turned to the father:
"Yes, l am just in the nick of tIme,"
he said. "An hour later, and the only
hope would be u resort to the operas
tion of tracheotomy. AS it is, l can
save him without doing any cutting.
This operation is called lntubation,"
continued the doctor, addressing him-
selt TO me. "It Is the invention of q
New York physician, and is of incal.
culable benefit in diphtheria, malignant
Group and kindred throat diseases.
This Instrument" he added, taking
from the case tWo-handied instru-
ment remotely resembling u pair of
pincers, "is called the mouth gag"
He deity inserted the steel ends be-
tween tho teeth OF the patient and
forced open his mouth. I held the
handles while he was busy ut his case,
and saw that 1t was impossible for tho
boy to close his mouth, try as hard rs
he would. Next the doctor drew out
litlle steel tube, gilded over. This
was small at one end and large at the
other, and swelled considerably toward
the centre.
The large end was tlattcned out SO
that it projected beyond the body of
the tube all around. 1t was two and
a half inches in length and about ono
fifth of an inch in diameter. The doc
tor deftiy drew u silk thread through
small hole near the large end Of tho
tube. Next he inserted Il little piece
of steel into the tube SO that II fitted
firmly, and screwed the steel to anothe
instrument with long handle. Put
ting the tube into the boys open
mouth, he quickly inserted 1t into his
larynX. Satisfied that 1t was perfectly
adjusted, he touched spring in tho
handle OF the instrument and out IL
came, taking with il tho pieco Of stool
which had been fitted into the tube.
Only the tube remained, with tho
thread hanging out Of the boys
mouth.
The doctor cut the thread, removed
the mouth gag, and the operation was
finished. Not a drop OF blood had
been shed, and the patient had suffered
hardly twinge Of pain from 1t.
"Won't the tube slip?' asked the
anxious father.
"Oh, no." was tho reply. at can
not do so. The bulge at the centre and
the projection at tho upper end prevent
II from moving up or down. He can
talk or cat just as we'll with II in ~
though he had nothing there"
Even AS tho doctor spoke the dark,
choked look left the boys face, and his
heavy breathing began to quiet down.
His eyes lost their wild, staring ap-
pearance, and more natural color
came into his cheeks. He was saved.